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Donald Trump Speaks Collection of Disparate Words Vaguely Centered on Common Core, Twitter Responds
In a statement yesterday, businessman Donald Trump spoke about Common Core. Complete with incomplete sentences, the overall impact of his words show a lack of understanding of what Common Core is, and what powers a President has over states setting academic standards.
His statement, in full, via Toronto Star reporter Daniel Dale, is:
“Well, we’re taking away Common Core, Common Core out of Washington. We’re going to knock it out – boom boom – and I mean, look at the people, the way they, the mothers and the aunts and the uncles and the fathers. They want to run their schools, and right not, they can’t. They’re being run out of Washington by people that – look, I’m sure some are very good and caring, but a lot of them are just bureaucrats that want to pick up the check. We want schools to be run locally.”
We planned to correct his comments, as we normally do when anyone puts out incorrect information about Common Core. However, the good folks on Twitter have done our job for us.
@ddale8 When will someone point at that Common Core isn’t a federal program?
— Rancid Butter (@TheButteryOne) September 23, 2016
Correct! State standards are UP TO STATES to pick.
@ddale8 Common Core didn’t come from D.C., it came from the National Governors’ Association
— patrick clark (@patricklclark) September 23, 2016
Patrick’s 100% right.
Alan gets the facts out there:
1) Schools are run locally.
2) The states adopted the Common Core.
3) The CCSS are a set of standards, not curriculum. https://t.co/lavNWhJIEf— Alan Hoffmann (@AlanHoffmann) September 23, 2016
Mark Sumner wraps up the discussion nicely:
@ddale8 Can’t decide if it’s tragic or hilarious that a program from a bipartisan group of governors became the emblem of DC bureaucracy.
— Mark Sumner (@Devilstower) September 23, 2016
But I have to admit, Step 1) Demand standards, Step 2) attack standards as a plot of big government bureaucrats … it’s a simple plan.
— Mark Sumner (@Devilstower) September 23, 2016
With regards to Common Core, the only way that a President could “knock it out – boom boom” would require an abuse of executive privilege, completely ignoring states’ rights to voluntarily adopt their own academic standards (which, by the way, is in direct opposition to Trump’s professed goal of schools being run locally).
Currently, schools – whether or not they are implementing Common Core or similarly high standards –are run locally. The people (yes – including mothers, aunts, uncles, fathers, and other relatives) already play a pivotal role in the education of students, along with dedicated teachers and school officials, and should continue to in the future.
Our sincere thanks to the Twittersphere for correcting the record for us.
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At our core, we believe leaders at all levels have a role to play in ensuring success for K-12 students. From ensuring schools and teachers are equipped with the best materials to spotlighting the innovative and bold ways federal recovery dollars are being used to drive needed changes, the Collaborative for Student Success aims to inform and amplify policies making a difference for students and families.
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